Thread-controller for sewing-machines.



R. G. WOODWARD.

THREAD CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MAc mEs.

APPLICATION FILED MAY S I908.

Patented May 11, 1915.

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vwautoz R. a. WOODWARD.

. THREA D CONTROLLER FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPL\|CAT!ON FILED MAY 5, 190B. 1,139,094L, Patented May 11, 1915.

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BUSSEL G. WODDWARD, 0F 'WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE T0 UNION SPECIAL ,MACHINE CGMIPANY, OF GHICAGO, ILLINQIS, A CORPOBATIQN GE ILLINOIS. i

THEE-CONTROLLER. FOR SEWING-MACHINE$.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May at, tars.

Application filed may 5, 1908. Serial No. 430300.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Russet. G. Wooownno, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vaukegan, in the county of Lake, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thread-Controllers for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to thread controllers for sewing machines, and more especially for sewing machines of the type wherein a thread carrier cotiperates with the needle above the work support.

An object of my invention is to provide a thread controller for the thread carrier, cooperating with the needle above the work support, so that slack thread may be given to said thread carrier when the thread of the thread carrier is around the needle, so as to avoid placing the needle under'lateral strain at the time it is entering the material.

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine which forms a blind stitch overseam with a thread controller for the thread carrier, cooperating with a needle before said needle enters the material, which supplies slack thread to said thread carrier, so as to avoid putting the needle under lateral strain.

My invention consists in the parts and arrangements hereinafter shown, described and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a front view of an overseaming machine with my thread controller applied thereto, certain parts being removed for the sake of clearness; Fig. 2 is a detail view, showing the thread controller in a different position and Fig. 3 is a. detail sectional view, showing the position of the thread carrier and the needle at the time when slack thread is given to said thread carrier.

In the present embodiment of my 1nven- 5, through a combined link and eccentric strap 6, cooperating with an eccentric on the main shaft 7 Cooperating with the needle at is a thread carrier 8, which is suitably supported in the present embodiment of my invention, on a shaft mounted underneath the work support 9. It will be obvious, however, from certain aspects of my invention, that said thread carrier might be mounted above the work support. Cooperating with the needle beneath the work support is a thread-carrying implement 10, which as shown is in the form of a spreader, comprising a thread-engaging beak 11. Saidspreader 10 is mounted upon a suitable support pivoted at 12 to a bracket carrier by the bed plate 1. The spreader carrier is connected by means of a link 13 to a rock shaft 14, which in turn is connected by a link 15 to an arm 6 extending from the needle lever 5. The looper or thread carrier 8 is oscillated by any suitable means from the main shaft 7 as for example, the means shown in the Underdonk Patent, No. 829,350, granted August 21st, 1906. The particular operating means for this thread carrier forms no part of the present invention, and has not, therefore, been further illustrated nor. described.

In the operation of the present illustrated stitch-forming mechanism, the needle passes through the material to a point beneath the work support, where it throws out the usual needle loop, which is engaged. by the spreader and brought to a position at one side of the work support, so that the thread carrier 8 may enter the same and move to a position above the work support, where the needle may pass down between the body of the thread carrier 8 and the thread there of running to the previous stitch.

The needle thread passes from the supply through suitable eyelets 16 and thence to a stationary eyelet 18 on the overhanging arm, from which it passes through the tension device 19 to the spaced eyelets 20. Between the spaced eyelets20 is a thread eye 21, carried by the needle lever, which engages the thread between the thread eyes. The needle thread then passes through the eyelet 22 on the overhanging arm, and thence through a tension device 23, carrier by the needle bar to the eye of the needle. An arm 24: carrier by the needle lever cooperates with the thread eye 16 to pull thread from the supply.

, The thread "25 0f the thread carrier is led fromthe supply through a suitable eye let 26, and then through spaced eyelets 27. A thread-engaging arm 28, carried by the needle lever 5, operates. upon the thread passing through the spaced eyelets 27, so as to pull thread from the supply. The thread is then led through the tension device 28*, to the eyelet 29. -After passing through the thread eyelet 29, the thread is led around a thread guide 30 or supplemental slack thread controllencarried by the lower end of the needle lever extension 6. The thread then passes to a thread eye 31, and then to an adjustable thread eye 32, from which the thread passes through an eye 33 or main slack thread controller formed in an arm carried by the needle lever extension 6. From the eye 33 the thread 25 asses through a thread guide 34, shown in otted lines in Fig.1, and thence to theopen eye at the heel of the looper, from'which the thread is led to the eye of the looper.

The timing of the parts is such that as the needle starts to rise, the spreader 10 starts on its forward movement to engage the needle loop and the thread carrier 8 also starts on its forward movement. As

the spreader 10 moves forward, the needle lever extension 6 is moving to the left as shown in Fig. 1, and the thread guide 30 is, therefore, brought into contact with the thread between the thread eyelets 29 and 31, and operates to take up theslack in the thread given up by the forward movement of the thread guide 33, and to all a little thread through the tension 28 or the next stitch. r

The thread carrier 8 and the spreader 10 reach their forward positions, substantially I at the time that the needle reaches the upward part of its stroke. As the needle descends, it passes between the body .of the thread carrier 8, and the thread leading from the eye thereof to the previous stitch, and the thread carrier has, therefore, thus formed a loop of thread about the needle. As the thread carrier descends, the thread guide 30 moves toward the thread eyes 29 and 31, and gives up slack to the thread carrier. The thread guide 33 .soon contacts with the looper thread, but the thread guide 30 gives up the thread a little faster than it istaken up by the thread guide 33, so that the looper thread at this time is entirely slack. At this time when the looper thread is slack, the needle is passing through the first part of its downward movement, and, therefore, no tensionis placed on the needle by the looper thread.

The thread guide 30 moves to a point slightly beyond the thread eyes 29 and 31, sothat at the end of the stroke of the thread carrier 8, the thread is drawn taut by the thread guide 33. In this type of machine where the thread carrier forms a loop about the needle, i f the thread of the thread car- 'rier is under .tension, the thread would then be drawn tight against the needle, and operate to deflect the same slightly from its proper path;that is, the placing of the that the needle should'be entirely free from strain or lateral vibration as it enters the material, so that the needle point may properly pass into the body of the material at the fold thereof, without going clear through, so as to show the stitches on the right side of the material. By my improved thread controller for the thread carrier coiiperating with the needle above the material, I release all tension on the thread of the thread carrier, and consequently avoid the lateral vibrations in the needle often caused in this type of machine by the thread of the thread carrier.

I have shown a trimmer 35, which operates in advance of the stitching point to trim the raw edge of the material, so that the same may be overseamed. I have also shown the work support as provided with an edge guide 36, which guides the folded edge of the fabric while the edge to be trimmed passes down over the top of said guide. A presser foot 37 operates to hold the material down upon the work-support in the usual way in this type of machine.

The guide 36 and the presser foot 37 cooperate, therefore, to present the material material and the spreader and looper cooperate with the needle to overseam the cut ed e.

I-laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. The combination of a work support, a needle, a thread carrying looper cohperating with the needle above the work! support to form a loop of thread around said needle, means for furnishing slack to the looper thread until after the needle point has passed into the material, and means for subsequently taking up the slack in the looper thread on the downward movement of the needle. 1

2. A sewing machine including'in combination a work support, a needle, means for operating the needle, a thread carrying imthread on the downward movement of the needle.

3. The combination of a work support, a needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle above the work support for forming a loop around the needle, a supplemental thread controlling device acting on the looper thread and. a main thread controlling device acting on the looper thread, said supplemental controlling device being timed togive slack to the looper until the point of the needle has entered the material, said main thread controlling device being timed to take up slackon the downward movement of the needle after the needle point has entered the material.

4. The combination of a work support, a needle, a thread carrying looper cooperating with the needle above the work support for forming a loop around the needle, a main thread controlling device for the looper thread, and a supplemental controlling device acting on the looper thread, in advance of the take-up action of the main thread controlling device, and prior to the needle point entering the material, whereby the looper thread around the needle is prevented from deflecting the needle, said main thread controlling device being timed to take up slack on the downward movement of the needle after the needle point has entered the material.

5. The combination of a work support, a feeding device, a needle, a looper operating in a plane substantially at right angles to the line of feed and cooperating with the needle above the work support for forming a loop of thread around the needle, means for releasing the looper thread from strain on the needle until after the needle point has passed into the material, and means for subsequently taking up the looper thread on the downward movement of the needle.

6. In a sewing machine the combination of a thread carrying implement, a tension device for the thread, a main thread controlling device engaging the thread on said implement, and a supplemental thread controlling device for said thread, and means for operating said thread controlling devices whereby said supplemental thread controlling device is operated to give up slack in advance of the take-up action of the main thread controlling device, and whereby said main thread controlling'device operates after said supplemental thread controlling device has ceased its action in one direction, to pull thread through the tension and finally set the stitch, said main thread controlling device being timed to take up slack on the downward movement of the needle after the needle point has entered the material.

In-testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

RUSSEL G. WOODWARD.

Witnesses:

CHESTER MCNEIL, A. B. CLo'rHnaR. 

